In the latest issue of  Meetings South Magazine, writer Maria Lenhart examines cruise incentives and interviews a few meeting professionals -  including Seasite CEO Jo Kling – to uncover the differences between land-based and cruise ship programs.

Here are a few of Jo’s observations from Ms. Lenhart’s article “Cruise Control”:

When you cut back on a hotel program, it’s really visible – attendees can see that there is no breakfast buffet, ” she says. “But with a cruise program you don’t cut back on anything, you’re providing more. Attendees can order anything they want in a beautiful dining room, not in a naked ballroom that you have to dress up. The food, the audiovisual, the decor, the entertainment is all included.”

Click www.meetingsfocus.com to read the complete Meetings South article.

Now, repeat after me – Change is Good!

Whatever your level of cruise expertise, you will want to read Dawn Barclay’s article “Nine Keys to Selling Meetings at Sea” in Travel Market Report.com. Seasite’s CEO Jo Kling shared her industry insights with the writer, and addressed a few common concerns of group travel planners. What’s the number one selling point of a meeting at sea?

1) Cruises equal savings. A cruise is typically 30%-40% less than a comparable land-based program, said Kling. “When you’re booking hotels, you’re just looking at hotel rates, without knowing how meals will add up, and when you’re already committed to rooms, you don’t have leverage to negotiate meal costs. At sea it’s all included. Even food at cocktail parties…”

Read the full article here: Nine Keys to Selling Meetings at Sea.

Other tips shared in the article include less hassle for the planner and client, flexibility, onboard creativity, tax deductibility, and secrets to additional savings.

Travel Market Report.com is the only online travel industry news media designed to serve as a forum for travel sellers around the globe. As the voice of the travel seller, they focus on critical travel market niches where there is opportunity for profitable growth, such as Meetings and Incentives, Medical and Wellness Travel, Leisure Travel and Corporate Sales.

SEA DREAM YACHT CLUB JUST TOLD US ABOUT TWO UNIQUE CHARTER OPPORTUNITIES. The short Caribbean voyages have not been published, and are being offered at very attractive charter prices. These 2 and 3-night “gems” are now available on a beautiful 112-passenger SeaDream yacht:

3-day roundtrip St. Thomas voyage April 7 1- 10, 2011
2-day roundtrip San Juan voyage April 21 – 23, 2011

All-Inclusive Value:  A SeaDream Yachting experience is truly all-inclusive – elegant oceanview staterooms, open bar, fine wines with meals, water toys, mountain bikes to use in port, gourmet meals served in the restaurant or al fresco on deck, and special shore events, including the decadent “Champagne and Caviar Splash”. For more information on the SeaDream experience and yachts, go to About SeaDream Yacht Club.

If you’re planning an incentive, meeting, party or charity event, this is an amazing opportunity to secure your own private yacht – but don’t delay. With short itineraries and value-based charter rates, these unique voyages won’t last for long!

To book your yacht, call Seasite at 888-713-1371 or 305-403-3002.

Today’s Wall Street Journal dove deep behind the scenes to reveal what it takes to operate the world’s largest cruise ship. Here’s an excerpt from Sarah Nassauer’s fascinating article “What It Takes to Keep a City Afloat”:

“How do you keep more than 6,300 people fed, housed and havng the time of their life while floating in the middle of the ocean?

The Oasis of the Seas – the world’s largest cruise ship – aims to accomplish that feat nearly every week. Almost five times as large as the Titanic, it has a population during its seven-day Caribbean sailings that is larger than many American small towns…”

Read the entire Wall Street Journal article : WSJ.com

CELEBRITY ECLIPSE MAKES FIRST PUBLIC APPEARANCE

MIAMI – March 2, 2010 – To witness the next solar eclipse, you have to wait until July 11, 2010. But if you’re in the area of Paperburg, Germany, you can see Celebrity Eclipse right now.

The third in Celebrity Cruises’ stylish, $3.7-billion Solstice Class fleet, Celebrity Eclipse showed off her sleek profile Sunday as she emerged for the first time from the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany. Celebrity Eclipse will enter service April 26 and, following two “short break” cruises, will offer a series of Canary Islands, Scandinavia/Russia and Spanish Mediterranean sailings roundtrip from Southampton, England. The new vessel will present Caribbean cruises roundtrip from Miami beginning in November.

For a large group that needs lots of meeting space as well as spectacular entertainment and a variety of dining options, the world’s largest and most innovative ship – Royal Caribbean’s 5,400-passenger Oasis of the Seas – might be just right.  But if you’re planning a program for a small group of up to 112 persons and luxury, intimacy, and privacy is more your cup of tea, a SeaDream Yacht charter could be the perfect fit.

In between, there are certainly many options! Large “floating resorts”, mid-size contemporary ships, even romantic sailing ships or European river vessels. Whatever the size, whatever your program needs, there’s a perfect ship out there that will certainly fit the bill.  To simplify your search,  go to Seasite.com Cruise Search.

From Joey Sciarrotta, Landry & Kling Group Coordinator

Just wanted to say hello and tell you that the SeaDream Yacht is beautiful, and the perfect size for this group. Everyone has been getting to know each other much better than on a larger ship, as the quarters and lounges are within close proximity. The facilities are upscale and very luxurious – but not stuffy.

The staterooms are incredible! Very comfortable, with excellent use of wood, etched glass cabinets and crystal glasses. The bedding is a dream to sleep in, with a plush European feeling and a single layered down comforter that’s perfect to wrap yourself in… Marble is used throughout the bathroom, and there is a large walk-in shower with foldable glass door and multiple showerheads with massage settings. The SeaDream logo towels and bath mats are better quality than the Ritz!

Another thing that I really love about the stateroom is the great use of space and ample amount of storage. I have all of our office equipment in my stateroom, and I was able to stow it all away with ease.

The service onboard is impeccable. The staff is very willing to help with whatever is needed – very friendly, welcoming, and a pleasure to work with.

The Balinese Dream beds on the top of the yacht are a great place to relax and unwind after a long day’s work or play. Last night I had the beds all to myself, enabling me to take in the fresh sea air and admire the stunning view of the full moon. What a feeling – complete freedom!

We just started the tenders to White Bay in Jost Van Dyke, where the group will have a beach BBQ and enjoy SeaDream’s decadent “Champagne and Caviar Splash”. Time for our daily meeting with the yacht’s staff – that’s all for now!

The MSC Favolosa is the newest addition to the cruise line’s Fantasia class of ships, and will boast new features and a state-of-the-art concept in space management. With a capacity of  3,502 passengers double occupancy, the ship is slightly larger (100 more cabins than the other Fantasia-class vessels), and a total redesign of decks and restaurants will offer Favolosa guests unprecedented comfort and the highest space ratio per guest in the fleet.

Yacht Club: The MSC Yacht Club, introduced on the earlier Fantasia vessels, will be expanded and redesigned on MSC Favolosa. This exclusive “Ship Within a Ship” area is a great option for meeting planners who want the ultimate comfort and privacy for their attendees.  MSC Yacht Club offers luxurious VIP suites complete with personal butler, and includes 24-hour Concierge service, sumptuous private reception area, lounge, pool and bar.

Environmental Commitment: If you’re concerned about keeping your meetings green, you’ll be pleased to know that MSC Cruises is committed to achieving the highest environmental standards on their ships. In fact, MSC Fantasia was the first passenger ship to receive the prestigious “6 Golden Pearls” award, recognizing it as one of the greenest ships in the world. MSC  has pledged to expand these initiatives and investments on MSC Favolova.

To read more about MSC Cruises and what sets this cruise line apart, click on About MSC.

After lunch, we opened the door of our conference room and stepped outside onto the balcony overlooking our waterway canal. There we saw a bucket of chilled champagne along with plates of caviar and all the condiments, beautifully displayed on our patio table dressed up with a nautical SeaDream Yacht Club cloth. Our office balcony had been magically transformed into an elegant yacht deck! Granted, the Coral Gables waterway isn’t exactly the Caribbean and the caviar wasn’t floating on a surfboard, but it sure was a nice little break from our ordinary workday.

Champagne & Caviar with Gretchen, Jo, Joyce and Bob

Seasite’s CEO Jo Kling asked Bob Lepisto how SeaDream Yacht Club vessels earned the coveted 5 Star award from the Berlitz Guide to Cruising & Cruise Ships, as well as the top 2 spots in the “Boutique Ship” category. After all, Jo mused, these ships were built in the 1980’s, and they don’t have balcony cabins. The answer from Bob was straightforward and simple “It’s yachting, not cruising”. There’s the difference.

Here’s what we know about SeaDream Yacht Club: their yachts deliver a cruise experience unlike any other. The ships are sophisticated and casual, 95 attentive crew members cater to only 112 passengers, and onboard life is unstructured or as active as you choose.  SeaDream Yachts are truly all-inclusive, and perfect for full ship charters – smaller groups can even buy their own deck!

A few of Landry & Kling’s team are currently sailing with a charter client on  SeaDream I, and have promised to send us updates from the Caribbean. We look forward to sharing their impressions of the yacht and first-hand reports of the fabulous “Champagne & Caviar Splash”!

SeaDream Yacht Marina

• Screening of all passenger baggage and carry-on luggage
• Screening of passenger lists and identification
• Restricted access to sensitive ship areas, such as the bridge and engine room
• Stepped-up onboard security measures including surveillance cameras – security personnel and crew can monitor virtually every area of the ship
• Maintaining a 100-yard security zone around cruise ships
• Cruise ships get an armed U.S. Coast Guard escort in and out of ports
• Requiring all commercial vessels to give 96 hours before entering U.S. ports (previously, ships had to give 24 hours’ notice.)

Controlled Access: A cruise ship is a controlled environment, comparable to a secure building with a 24-hour security guard. When a ship is in port, there are only one or two ways passengers and crew can enter the vessel, and these entry points are manned by highly trained security personnel. Passengers and crew may embark or disembark the ship only after passing through security. In addition, all packages and belongings go through an X-ray machine while passengers and crew pass through metal detectors. If a port is determined to be unsafe, the ship’s itinerary is altered to ensure the safety of all onboard.

Safety Onboard: When planners consider safety issues, they want to ensure that their hotel or meeting venue has hard-wired smoke detectors and automatic sprinkler systems, as well as Automated External Defibrillators (AED’s) and staff trained in CPR. If you’re planning a meeting at sea, rest assured all ships are required to have a medical center with 24-hour access to medical staff as well as a defibrillator. Click to read more about cruise ship medical facilities.

So now you have two less things to worry about during your cruise event. You can read a report from the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) for even more information about safety and security aboard cruise ships.